Not arguing for our faults, but affirming our highest good

Submitted by Karnamrita.das on Tue, 2009-06-09 16:20

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The soul's condition in the material world is pitiable, restrictive, limited. We have bought into a conception of our self that is so much less than who we are spiritually. On the one hand we need to humbly accept that we are a tiny fragment or part of God completely dependent on him for everything. On the other, compared to our spiritual heritage and nature, we are acting in such a tiny, selfish capacity according to the limitations of matter and our self limiting beliefs.

Low self esteem in psychology means to buy into a self doubting, negative conception of who we are and what we can or can't do or obtain--that we are just bad and deserve the worst. Devotees also suffer from this, and a misapplication of the KC philosophy can dress up our poor, self-limited ideas of our [material] self into external shows of humility or renunciation.

The mind is our friend or enemy, and to be successful in [bhakti] yoga we need to make it our friend. In general, that means to remember Krishna, and to think of ways to serve him and his devotees. At the same time making the mind a friend means changing our habitual negative self talk [if we have it], seeing Krishna as our maintainer and friend, and believing that we will be successful by Krishna's grace in our various endeavors in this life and beyond. We do this by hearing and chanting about Krishna and in developing a serving mentality through regular seva or service to devotees, Deities and people in general.

If we don't believe in our self or our value we may not even try to do a particular thing, or defeat ourself in advance. Real self esteem is to understand that as part of Krishna, we are by nature lovable, and valuable. We can and should read the prayers of great realized devotees, though most of us are not on that level. Aspiring to make advancement and follow in their footsteps is one thing, imitation another. Their lamentations come from pure devotion, not from material conditioning or self doubt.

As devotees we want to cultivate an attitude that by the mercy of our Gurus, the devotees and Krishna we can be successful in our attempts. At least we have to try our best and believe that the results are up to Krishna--remembering him, depending on him, with an attitude of faith in the possible, IS our success. If we feel too bad about our self [this is our material concept of ourself], then we may not accept Krishna's help even when it is right in front of our face.

Is something an opportunity or an insurmountable problem? Is the glass half empty or half full? Should we endeavor in faith, or give up in self doubt? The answer to these questions or other similar ones, depends on our spiritual attitude. Are we arguing for our faults and limitations, or affirming the nature of our soul, and the mercy of Krishna upon us?

I share with you some affirmations that a group of devotees developed in a prayer group I was part of with the hope that they may assist you in your spiritual attitude. You can try to use some of these on a regular basis or make up your own that address your core issues. For instance if we have issues with Krishna talking care of us we can affirm that: "Krishna is my well-wisher and dear-most friend, and he is always working for my highest good and helping me." For an aspiring devotee, this statement or affirmation is a fact, though we may not believe it. So we are not speaking of wishful thinking but of focusing on the best possible result, in the positive, in our true spiritual glory as Krishna's part and parcel etc. We are also expressing or affirming our spiritual aspirations for service and attainment.

Replacing our negative self talk with spiritually positive self talk is desirable, though there are different opinions on how to do this. I have given the general recommendations above and we should all use them. At the same time from my wife and my experience, by using affirmations, at the very least we will feel better, and at the best we can change our limiting, negative self talk.

With Krishna's help we can change our attitude, and how we see the world. As I said already, Krishna consciousness practices are also doing this, yet such spiritual positive affirmations or statements can help us by changing what we focus on. We are not replacing chanting Hare Krishna or other forms of devotional service, but augmenting or assisting it. The proof of the pudding [or affirmations] is in the tasting [are they helpful or not?]--but at least we can make an endeavor in order to have an opinion about it. It all depends on your need.

Some people are saying things like "I am so stupid, and can't do anything right", because this is what they heard growing up, and they have internalized it. So now, if we are aware of our negative self talk, and limiting attitudes we can develop new beliefs and attitude. Affirmations along with our spiritual practices or sadhana is one way to do this. Personally I am inspired to read these. See if you are, and if so use them as you like...as many or as few as you are attracted to. See this as an experiment.

Radha-Krsna are blessing us all to be able lo completely release and let go of everything that we need to release and let go.

Radha-Krsna are freeing us from all attachments to persons, places, things and wrong conceptions that are not part of Their plan for our lives, that are not for our highest good and are not conducive for the development of pure love for Them.

Radha-Krsna are blessing us to be able to let go easily, smoothly, lovingly and joyfully.

Radha-Krsna are blessing us to immediately accept every wonderful blessing that They want to send our way. They are blessing us to accept Their blessings and mercy in the future as well, by our being open, ready, and able to give, receive, and share our good fortune Their Divine Plan manifests fully in our lives right now!!

Radha-Krsna are blessing all of us to be able to flow through each day in a relaxed and tranquil way, fully trusting m Their Mercy, Their Kindness, and Their Love. We have only to relax and do our very best and They will do the rest.

Radha-Krsna are blessing all of us to now live a, deeply satisfying life, of the most widely useful kind. Radha-Krsna are blessing us to be able to serve Shrila Prabhupada's Mission in a way that is very useful and pleasing to him, and that gives us the fullest self-expression and deep fulfillment.

Radha-Krsna are now adjusting, harmonizing, and prospering everything in my mind, heart, activities and life that needs to be adjusted, harmonized and prospered, and in the minds, hearts, activities, and lives, of everyone that is dear to me.

The perfection of our prayers is the transformation of our material consciousness, and that of all living entities, into pure devotees of the Lord. By the combined Mercy of Sri Guru and Gauranga we are witnessing the cleansing of everyone's heart through the Power of the Holy Name!! Thus the Earth has changed into Vaikuntha and all living beings rejoice! !

Diving Mercy and Grace are manifest in our Prayer Group and in our Healing work. We rejoice in the wonderful opportunities Radha-Krsna give us to share Krishna consciousness. By being a channel for Unconditional Love and Healing, many sincere souls join us and we establish true community.

We are basking in the Presence of Radha-Krsna and are immersed in the Sweetness of Their Light and Love. Radha-Krsna are blessing us now with an ever increasingly sweet taste for Their Holy Name and Service.

PART TWO:

THE LIGHT OF RADHA-KRSNA [or SHRI GURU, GAURA-NITAI etc.], SURROUNDS, NURTURES AND PURIFIES ME.
THE LOVE OF RADHA-KRSNA ENFOLDS AND EMPOWERS ME.
THE POWER OF RADHA-KRSNA PROTECTS, STRENGTHENS, AND HEALS ME.
THE OPULENCE OF RADHA-KRSNA SUPPORTS ME ABUNDANTLY.
THE KNOWLEDGE OF RADHA-KRSNA TEACHES AND GUIDES ME.
THE EXPRESSION OF RADHA-KRSNA SPEAKS AND WRITES THROUGH ME.
THE PRESENCE OF RADHA-KRSNA WATCHES OVER ME AND LETS ME SEE.
WHEREVER I AM, RADHA-KRSNA ARE, AND ALL IS WELL, AND EVERYTHING FURTHERS MY HIGHEST GOOD.

RADHA-KRSNA’S MIRACLE WORKING POWER IS CREATING MIRACLES IN MY LIFE, WITHIN AND WITHOUT, IN ALL MY ACTIVITIES, THOUGHTS AND AFFAIRS, TRANSFORMING ME, HEALING ME. EMPOWERING ME TO BE THE PERSON I NEED TO BECOME TO FULFILL MY MISSION IN LIFE.

WITH RADHA-KRSNA’S HELP I GIVE MYSELF PERMISSION WITHIN AND WITHOUT TO BE THE PERSON I WAS BORN TO BE. MY INNER LIFE SUPPORTS MY OUTER LIFE. ALL PARTS OF ME--BODY, MIND, EMOTIONS, INTELLECT, AND SOUL--ARE IN HARMONY AND UNION TO SERVE MY HIGHEST GOOD.

I AM OPEN AND RECEPTIVE TO MY NEW AND HIGHEST GOOD!! I HAPPILY AND EASILY LET GO OF THE OLD TO MAKE WAY FOR THE NEW! WHATEVER I NEED IN ORDER TO GROW AND SERVE COMES TO ME IN THE PERFECT WAY AND PERFECT TIME.

I ACCEPT MYSELF IN MY TRUE SPIRITUAL GLORY AS AN ETERNAL SERVANT OF RADHA-KRSNA!! I MANIFEST THE LORD’S WILL IN MY LIFE AND THUS I REJOICE!! MY SERVICE IS MY SOLACE!! MY LIFE AND MY SERVICE ARE ONE!

BY RADHA-KRSNA’S GRACE I AM A RADIATING CENTER OF DIVINE LOVE, MIGHTY TO ATTRACT MY GOOD, AND TO SHARE MY GOOD WITH OTHERS, WITHOUT ATTACHMENT.

I took your suggestion to try out the affirmations and here's some of what I did:

On the door, so I am reminded whenever I leave and enter my room:

(I know the door isn't the most appropriate place, but the door represents to me a connection and separation from the rest of the world, and in this sense it's critical. I've made a covering for the picture for the night.)

In the bag of my MP3 player, so that I see it whenever I listen to anything on my MP3 player - I just got it recently:

At my study desk, among the study steps:

At the computer, obviously:

At my bed, so it is the first thing I see in the morning and the last before I go to sleep:

I have been thinking of something like that for quite a while, and I had and still have verses from the Bhagavad-gita pasted in visible places in my room.

It feels somehow more real though if I act on someone else's suggestion.
Some of the ideas I have had certainly weren't all that bad, but when I don't share with others, things start to look quite futile and unreal for me.

I am glad you have posted this thread, many thanks to you and to your prayer group!

*Reply*

Fri, 06/12/2009 - 10:06 — Karnamrita.das
You have caught the spirit

Thanks so much for sharing this with everyone. Loved what you did! Yes you have caught the spirit of what I was sharing by putting these affirmations around your room to remind you that Krishna is truly our dear-most friend and well wisher.

What we focus on expands or is given energy. So if we focus on doubt, criticism and negativity, that energy will increase, while if we focus on our highest good, faith, praise, seeing people and situations in a good light, then that consciousness will increase. Actually, that is who we are. The soul has all good qualities and has to be awakened from its slumber of ignorance! This is what chanting is all about--always our souls nature of seva or service to come out.

I find these affirmations very inspiring and have recently taken up their daily recitation. I use some of them during japa as well.

Yes Krishna is helping and inspiring all his devotees. We have to learn to listen to his inspirations!

Your friend in Krishna,

Karnamrita

Fri, 06/12/2009 - 03:44 — abrennan
Wow

Dear Tekisui

Great idea. I was very interested in the idea of the affirmations, I think they are a very powerful thing to use. It is not different to praying, I think. I am really inspired now to see what you have done. It is a wonderful plan.

Hare Krishna

Thu, 06/11/2009 - 23:33 — bhaktincarol
hare krsna

What are you referring to as your "highest good," as in the following?

...AND EVERYTHING FURTHERS MY HIGHEST GOOD.

ALL PARTS OF ME--BODY, MIND, EMOTIONS, INTELLECT, AND SOUL--ARE IN HARMONY AND UNION TO SERVE MY HIGHEST GOOD.

I AM OPEN AND RECEPTIVE TO MY NEW AND HIGHEST GOOD!!

BY RADHA-KRSNA’S GRACE I AM A RADIATING CENTER OF DIVINE LOVE, MIGHTY TO ATTRACT MY GOOD, AND TO SHARE MY GOOD WITH OTHERS, WITHOUT ATTACHMENT.

*Reply*

Fri, 06/12/2009 - 09:40 — Karnamrita.das
Excellent question

I was going to go through these affirmations today as I know there could be some confusion about them. For me they are a meditation of the qualities of Krishna and his mercy to his devotees. In a way these affirmations are like sutras that you unpack and go deeper into. They are to be thought about and prayed about. What do they mean for me personally? Do they apply, or could they apply?

Generally people pray for all kinds of material things and facilities--yet if they approach God for them they are some type of devotee [four kinds of people come to Krishna]. Even initiated devotees have needs they come before Krishna with, though often they dont' want to pray for anything--pure devotees are not supposed to pray for anything other then pure devotion or service--so often devotees feel guilty to ask for personal requirements [while inside they may be burning]. Realistically most of us are not on that level of pure devotion and we need to be real and acknowledge it--and share it with Krishna. He knows already, but this speaking our heart regularly before Krishna helps us understand our dependence on him for everything. We want Krishna and his service to be the center of our life--not only officially on Sunday.

In my experience it is better to acknowledge your material desires and requirements to so we can "get through" this lifetime remaining a devotee, instead of thinking we have to go away from Krishna to get our needs met. We are recommended to try to "dovetail" our desires with the service of Krishna, or try to use them in relationship to him and his devotees. At the same time we have to gradually increase our purity in our spiritual practices and develop deeper and deeper taste or "ruchi". Chanting and all the types of devotional service are the real "medicine" for our material disease.....we want to come to the point where they are our "food" that we can't live without.

Talk to Krishna (in his Deity or a picture on your altar) and just share your life journey with him. We have to do our part to manifest what we require in life, (knowing that Krishna is our source of supply) yet we can also pray to Krishna to help us, though it is true that we often don't know what is best for us. So to be safe we can ask Krishna to help us with a particular issue or need, beginning or ending with, "if it is for my highest good", or "this or something better for me". We shouldn't exclude Krishna from any part our life.

What is the "highest good" for a devotee? In general it is pure devotion, association with saints, absorption in always remembering Krishna with love etc. In a particular situation where we desire a certain outcome we may not know our highest good, but if we pray that our highest good will be served, that means leaving it up to Krishna. He certainly knows the best outcome or highest good in whatever we are endeavoring for. Prabhupada said that any desire is a kind of prayer. Desires are not bad in and of themselves....desire is a symptom of life. As devotees we are trying use our desires as service to Krishna or at least in relationship to service.

We have to look at our desires--not pretend they don't exist. Then we can pray to Krishna to either remove a particular desire if it is not favorable for service or is a karmic activity, or in another case, that it can be used in his or devotee's service, preaching etc. So praying for our highest good is a kind of surrender to Krishna, saying: "I have so many desires Lord, either material or for service, so please let me obtain those things which will help me make spiritual advancement, please you, and retire my materialistic tendencies. Let my life be favorable for service!

If you study Prabhupada's books you understand the standard of pure devotion. That is our goal, yet it is a process to get there. Part of that process is knowing where we are materially and spiritually and acting accordingly. I am not suggesting that anyone be like a mundane religionist seeing God as their order supplier. Yet we have to be honest through introspection in understanding our nature, needs, and material attachments. It is easy, especially in the beginning, to artificially think we are at a level of advancement we are not on, and to even think we really don't have material desires. I have been there, and it wasn't until I was in my 30's that I really saw myself clearly. And my self understanding has come in layers as I age. I am still learning.

So, pray and endeavor for pure devotion, but be real, and know that understanding one's self takes years. Stretch yourself at times to serve more, but don't break. Be balanced. Pray to Guru and Krishna to always help you, and be confident that you will make gradual spiritual progress. See KC as for your whole life, and actually, forever. Bloom where you are planted and use your nature for Krishna. Don't let your nature pull you down through neglect or fighting with it.